Reflections on the Road: Two Birds, One Super Bowl

I drove over 225 miles round trip Super Bowl weekend to visit friends in Baltimore. I-95, I-695, York Road, MLK Jr Highway, I-395, and city streets in between; through neighborhoods like Rosebank, Federal Hill, Inner Harbor, and Mount Vernon. I drove by M&T Bank Stadium twice, unintentionally, misdirected by my co-pilot. At night, well-lit and deserted, the stadium is particularly impressive.

Just twenty-four hours later, I was home in Philadelphia watching a football game happening in a different stadium. By the end of the night, I had officially changed from a Ravens fan to an Eagles fan. While I don't pay attention to football - I've never even attended a game - I've hosted playoffs and Super Bowl parties; I've worn purple and claimed Baltimore pride. Yet, not until this Super Bowl, rooting for the Eagles on the road to victory, have I felt stressed about football, or even really, truly enjoyed watching football. I felt invested, which surprised me. For the first time, I felt more like a Philadelphian than a Marylander, and that scared me.